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Classical & Archaeological Studies is very interdisciplinary in nature making it an ideal joint honours subject. Students of Religious Studies will appreciate the opportunity to trace the continuity of ancient religions through to the modern day. Archaeology, meanwhile, draws interpretative strands from many disciplines, so this joint honours will give you a head start with archaeological interpretation.
Overview
The great strength of Classical & Archaeological Studies is the hugely interesting and varied range of subjects it includes – literature, mythology, drama, archaeology, art and architecture, history, languages as well as philosophy – and the way they all connect in the study of ancient civilisations, including those of Egypt, Greece, Rome and their neighbours. At Kent, you also have the opportunity to learn Latin or Ancient Greek, which are taught at beginners, intermediate and advanced levels.
Religion is a vital element in human culture, and today religious issues are everywhere – from current affairs and international events, to the history of ideas, art and literature, and our own immediate experience and environment. Religious Studies at Kent involves investigating and discussing these ideas, experiences, practices and institutions, through texts, films, historical data and directly observing the world today.
So taking Classical & Archaeological Studies in combination with Religious Studies, you gain a broad insight into human culture, one that spans geographical boundaries and the centuries.
Independent rankings
In the National Student Survey 2015, Archaeology and Classics were ranked 1st in the UK for student satisfaction. Classics and Ancient History ranked 7th overall in The Guardian University Guide 2017.
Religious Studies at Kent was ranked 14th overall in the UK in The Guardian University Guide 2017. In the National Student Survey 2015, 91% of our students were satisfied with the quality of teaching on their course.
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
Teaching and assessment
Classical & Archaeological Studies
All modules have a weekly seminar, and most also have weekly lectures. Archaeology modules sometimes include museum and site visits. We encourage students to take part in excavations and surveys with staff and associated institutions, and student bursaries are available to support this.
Assessment at all stages varies from 100% coursework to a combination of examination and coursework.
Religious Studies
You are usually taught in small groups, with most modules involving either two or three hours per week in class, plus individual consultations with teachers as well as sessions on computing and library skills.
Stage 1 modules are normally assessed by 100% coursework. At Stages 2 and 3, some modules are assessed by 100% coursework (such as essays), others by a combination of formal examination and coursework.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- teach a congruent discipline within the framework of European intellectual, cultural and historical traditions, interacting with other component disciplines
- encourage widening participation within an active regional role
- instil knowledge about the diverse societies and cultures of the Ancient World and their interaction, through literature, history and archaeology
- provide knowledge of Archaeological and Classical Studies and Ancient History
- survey the main areas and genres of Classical Literature, both Greek and Latin
- study the history of ancient Greece and Rome, and the contemporary civilizations of ancient Asia Minor, Persia and Egypt, from ca. 600BC to ca. AD600;
- examine the archaeology of the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome within the wider context of the Mediterranean, and of the broadly contemporary cultures of temperate Europe, over the period ca. 1000BC to ca. AD600, and introduce some aspects of earlier prehistory
- study selected themes, regions and periods in literature, history and archaeology
- introduce key elements by which early Europe acquired its social, political, cultural and intellectual foundations
- explore different types of evidence: literary, historical, art-historical and archaeological, focusing on different approaches and techniques
- examine the problems of interpretation of source material through critical analysis
- develop students' capacity to learn and produce graduates in possession of key skills, prepared for employment or further study
- equip students with critical thinking and communication skills
- provide learning opportunities that are enjoyable, involve realistic work loads within a research-led framework and offer appropriate support for students.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- another culture, whether focused on literature, thought, art and religion, or history and political and social organisation, or material culture, with an informed sense of the similarities and differences between it and our own culture
- complementary subjects, whether literary, philosophical, religious, historical, or art-historical and archaeological
- the origins and development of archaeology as a discipline
- selected themes, periods and regions within the programme (according to pathway: the themes and genres of Classical Literature, and/or Ancient History and methods of historical interpretation, and/or the Archaeology of selected periods and themes relating to the Mediterranean region and temperate Europe) in the context of current debate
- a diverse range of primary materials and appropriate methods of interpretation.
Intellectual skills
You gain the following intellectual abilities:
- apply the skills needed for academic study and enquiry
- analyse, evaluate and interpret a variety of types of evidence in an independent and critical manner
- select, gather and synthesise relevant information from a wide variety of sources to gain a coherent understanding
- a range of techniques and methodologies of study
- problem-solving skills
- study and reach conclusions independently.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in the following:
- critical evaluation of a variety of sources for literary and/or historical and/or archaeological study, such as texts and inscriptions and discuss their implications
- extract key elements from complex data and identify and solve associated problems
- select and apply appropriate methodologies in assessing data, according to programme pathway, such as bibliographical research, textual and historical analysis, visual skills, collection and analysis of archaeological data, use of statistics, philosophical argument and analysis
- gather, memorise and deploy evidence and information, and show awareness of the consequences of the unavailability of evidence
- familiarity with the basic concepts which underpin the different branches of the programme pathways
- to present arguments lucidly and communicate interpretations using the appropriate academic conventions.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in the following:
- communicate effectively with a wide range of individuals
- take responsibility for your personal and professional learning and development
- evaluate and learn from your own academic performance
- time-management, prioritise workloads, write and think under pressure
- problem-solving skills in a variety of theoretical and practical situations
- work creatively, flexibly and adaptably with others
- IT abilities, such as producing word-processed text with footnotes, formatting, research using databases and text-files, locating and exploiting websites.
Careers
Studying on the Classical & Archaeological Studies and Religious Studies programme, you gain key transferable skills such as the ability to analyse and summarise complex information, to manage and organise your time, and to express your opinion persuasively and with sensitivity, skills that will leave you well placed to embark on a graduate career.
Possible careers include archaeology, the heritage industry, museums, business, journalism, Civil Service, computing, media, librarianship, teaching, travel, advertising, further academic study, general ‘arts degree’ employment requiring literacy and versatility.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | BBB |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above. |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 15 points at HL |
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.
Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | ||
| Part-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page.